IBM leader Steve Mills ’73 to speak on information technology

IBM leader Steve Mills ’73 will return to campus Tuesday, April 23 to discuss information technology, and its past, present and future, in the Nott Memorial at 7 p.m.

Mills’ talk is part of the Union College Alumni Speaker Series, launched last year by Noah Joseph ’13 to connect students with graduates who can offer significant professional insight and industry experiences.

The talk is free and open to the public.

“Bringing distinguished graduates to campus gives students direct access to them. It also gives students the opportunity to learn about and be involved in discussions of current events, led by experts in their respective fields,” said Joseph, series president. “This series is invaluable because it gives students a sense of pride in their school, a school that produces such esteemed alumni. It also motivates students to pursue their dreams because, after all, the successful people we bring back were once in our shoes.”

Senior vice president and group executive of software and systems, Mills is responsible for development, manufacturing and sales for all IBM hardware and software products. Approximately $40 billion of Big Blue revenue and 60 percent of Big Blue profits are associated with what he does.

Mills credits his alma mater with providing a foundation that’s helped make his IBM achievements possible, and he’s looking forward to coming back.

“I am proud to have graduated from Union College,” Mills said. “It was a great experience and set me on a course of life-long learning that has paid off in my professional career. Sharing my insights and experiences is a way of giving something back to Union.”

Working with Becker Career Center, which helps identify alumni in fields of interest to students, the series strives to bring one or two speakers to campus each term.

Previous speakers have included Shirel Kozak ’07, co-producer of Sundance award-winning film “The House I Live In”; Michael Sachs ’73, sports psychologist and Temple University professor; Matt Leibman ’95, orthopedic surgeon for several professional sports teams in Boston; and Marcia Keegan ’80, vice president of ESPN production.